Four Arrested After Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion Kills 5-Year-Old Boy in Michigan

Charges include second-degree murder and manslaughter following the January incident at an alternative medicine facility.

Thomas Cooper, a 5-year-old boy, died in a hyperbaric chamber explosion on January 31 at The Oxford Center in Troy, Michigan, where he was receiving treatment for sleep apnea and ADHD.
Four individuals, including the facility's founder and CEO Tamela Peterson, were arrested on March 10 and face charges ranging from second-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records.
The explosion occurred in a chamber delivering 100% oxygen, which authorities say created a highly combustible environment; Thomas's mother sustained burns while attempting to rescue him.
The Oxford Center, which markets hyperbaric oxygen therapy for various unapproved treatments, expressed disappointment over the charges, citing ongoing investigations into the cause of the fire.
Thomas's family plans to file a lawsuit, aiming to prevent similar tragedies, and a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $67,000 to support them.